Review of The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) by Kaisa W — 29 May 2007
John Wayne as a roaming tough-guy. Dean Martin as a grinning con-man. A land dispute, with a town trapped between two warring factions. The obligatory scene where the heroes try to punch one another's lights out.
A rousing score by Elmer Bernstein. All of these qualities should be enough to inform you when this film was made, during the years before Peckinpah, Leone, etc., changed the western genre forever. However, this is not the shoot-em-up flick that many might expect; there is a thoughtful story that concerns itself foremost with character development.
I especially like how the Katie Elder character always looms over the on-screen action, though we never glimpse anything more than her coffin at the film's beginning. This is easily one of the best films from the latter years of Wayne's career.
Besides, where else are you going to see the Duke wallop a young, smart-mouthed Dennis Hopper?
This review of The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) was written by Kaisa W on 29 May 2007.
The Sons of Katie Elder has generally received positive reviews.
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